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本人 (ほんにん) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word JLPT N3 Freq. Frequency Top 1,000 Meanings 1
noun
the person in question ; the person themselves ; said person
Refers to the specific person being discussed, often used to emphasize that it is that person and not someone else. Common in legal, formal, and everyday contexts.
るい
は
本ほん
人にん
が
記き
入にゅう
し
て
ください
。
Please fill out this form yourself (the person in question).
Similar words 当とう 人にん Similar meaning, but 当人 is slightly more formal and often used in legal or official contexts, while 本人 is more common in everyday speech.
自じ 分ぶん Means 'oneself' and is used reflexively. 本人 emphasizes the specific person being talked about, not the self in general.
Etymology Compound of 本 (ほん, 'main', 'this') and 人 (にん, 'person'). The exact historical derivation is straightforward; the word has been used since at least the Edo period to refer to the person in question.
